1 posts tagged “national organ donor day”

February 14th isn’t just Valentine’s day, it’s also National Donor Day. Did you know there are currently around 120,000 people waiting for a life-saving organ donation in the United States today? What better time to take a look at some of the measures other countries around the world are taking in order to combat their own long donor waiting lists.

Earlier this year, France made headlines by reversing its policy on organ donations so that all citizens are automatically presumed donors upon their death unless they join an official “opt-out” registry. Before that, unless the deceased person had made it known they did not wish to donate their organs, doctors were required to consult relatives, who in almost 30% of cases refused. The “opt-out” registry has garnered about 150,000 sign-ups so far.

France isn’t the only country to take an “opt-out” stance on organ donation. Countries like Belgium and Austria have also applied similar rules, and perhaps unsurprisingly, they see extremely high organ donation rates that hover around 98% and 99%. The list of registered organ donors in the US sits at around 48% of the population.

So, let’s take a look at some facts from the American Transplant Foundation about organ donation in the United States…

What do you think about France’s new law? Share your thoughts below or join the discussion in the forum.

About

At PatientsLikeMe, people with every type of condition are coming together to share their health experiences, find patients like them and learn how to take control of their health. The result is improved care for patients as well as an acceleration of real-world medical research.

Stay tuned to our blog for the latest happenings with our company, our patients and our mission of opening up the healthcare system.